Mobile Device Security Indicator for Locked State Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices are vulnerable to unauthorized data access due to their small size, making it difficult to ensure secure protection of sensitive data, especially when lost or stolen, as existing device-locking mechanisms do not prevent applications from accessing encrypted data.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that encrypts sensitive data on mobile devices when in a locked state and generates a security indicator on the display to confirm the device is in a secure state, preventing applications from decrypting the data unless all tickets and plaintext objects are released.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If device-locking functionality is implemented to prevent unauthorized access, then security against physical theft is improved, but applications can still access encrypted data when the device is locked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the security mechanism into multiple layers: device-locking functionality and data encryption. It further segments the security indicator system into separate components for detecting locked state, determining secure state, and displaying indicators. This segmentation allows the system to address the contradiction by adding a security indicator that provides transparent verification of the secure state without interfering with existing security mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by introducing a security indicator that provides visual confirmation to users about the actual security state of their data. The system detects the locked state, determines whether data is actually secure (encrypted and inaccessible to applications), and provides feedback through display indicators. This feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by making the security state transparent to users.
2Reliability
If data is encrypted when the device is locked, then security against data retrieval is improved, but users cannot verify the actual secure state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent directly addresses this contradiction by implementing a feedback mechanism through security indicators. The system detects whether the device is in a locked state, determines if data is actually secure (encrypted and inaccessible), and provides visual feedback to users through display indicators. This resolves the verification difficulty by making the abstract security state concrete and observable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary security indicator system that mediates between the encryption mechanism and the user. Instead of requiring users to directly understand or verify encryption states, the intermediary indicator provides a simplified visual representation of security status, making verification accessible to users without technical expertise.
3Loss of information
If security indicators are displayed to confirm secure state, then user awareness of security status is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by implementing the security indicator system using existing device components (display, processor, state detection mechanisms). The same hardware infrastructure that supports basic device operations is leveraged to provide security indication, avoiding the need for dedicated complex hardware and minimizing additional device complexity while still providing comprehensive security information.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for generating a security indicator on a display of a computing device (e.g. a mobile device), to indicate when the computing device is in a secure state while locked. A determination is made (e.g. by a data protection system) as to whether at least some of the secure data stored on the computing device can be decrypted by any applications on the computing device, while the computing device is in the locked state. An icon or other identifier can be displayed to indicate that the secure state has been attained. In one embodiment, the secure state is considered to have been attained, if it is determined that all tickets that have been issued to applications on the computing device while the computing device was unlocked have been released, and any decrypted encryption keys that may be used to decrypt the secure data have been deleted.